Method and machine for edge gluing wood boards



Oct. 2, 1956 I F. s. SILLARS 2,765,249

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR EDGE GLUING WOOD BOARDS Filed Sept. 22, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet l in van for Freoeflck 5. Si/Zars 59/7/13 Attorney Oct. 2, 1956 F. s. SILLARS 2,765,249

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR EDGE GLUING WOOD BOARDS Filed Sept. 22, 1954 s sheets-sheet 2 62 25 2 Q 5 50 [8 as 63 [ill/81710) fieaeu'ck 5. Si/lars By his Azzor-ney Oct 2, 19 56 F. s. SILLARS p 2,765,249

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR EDGE GLUING WOOD BOARDS Filed Sgpt. 22 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet s [n yen for E'eder/bk 5517/0/15 By his Azfzorney United tat-es Patent METHOD AND MACHINE FOR EDGE GLUING WOOD BOARDS Frederick S. Sillars, Beverly, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application September 22, 1954, Serial No. 457,731

8 Claims. (Cl. 154-116) This invention relates to edge gluing boards and is particularly concerned with the use of blocks of solid heat-softenable adhesive as the source of supply of a material to be used in making a bond between the boards.

In making a bond between the edges of boards to be joined to make a Wide board, it is customary to employ a heated adhesive which is transferred to the edges of the boards just prior to the making of the joint. This, however, involves at least two ditficulties. One is that it is frequently found desirable to heat the boards before the adhesive is applied in order to get a complete application of the adhesive to the material and penetration of the adhesive therein. When this is done, however, the Work must be held under pressure for a considerable time in order to permit the dispersion of the heat and the forming of a strong joint.

Another difficulty resides in the deterioration of the adhesive material employed if the latter is heated in a receptacle and maintained at a sufficient temperature to keep it in liquid condition throughout the days work. It is well understood that thermoplastic materials are desirable in the making of a strong bond but if such materials are kept in a heated receptacle there is great diffi'culty in cleaning away the surplus material and in preventing it from spoiling during use.

Accordingly, an important object of the invention is to devise an improved method of effecting bonds between the edges of sheets which involves the use of solid blocks of heat-softened material, small portions of which are transferred to the edges to be bonded.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus for transferring the adhesive from solid blocks thereof directly to the edges of the work in a convenient and rapid fashion.

A heated blade may conveniently be employed for applying the adhesive to the edges of the work and in accordance with a feature of the invention, the blade is movable from a position where the adhesive blocks are brought into contact with the sides of the blade to a position where the adhesive is wiped onto the work.

Provision is also made for supporting the blocks of adhesive for movement into and out of contact with the sides of the heated blade. This imparts only a small amount of heat to the work.

These and other features of the invention will best be understood from a consideration of the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings,

Fig. l is a side elevation of the apparatus with portions broken away and in section;

Fig. 2 is an end view from the left of Fig. 1 with a face plate broken away;

Fig. 3 is a plan view; and

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 show successive steps in the use of the apparatus for carrying out the process.

In the apparatus shown, a table 10 is supported upon legs 12 and is strengthened by the use of marginal flanges ice 14 and depending. webs 16. This table is used for supporting pieces of work such as boards 18 and 20 having adjacent edges 22 and 24 (Fig. 4) which are to be adhesively bonded.

The table is provided with a central slot 26 which is defined by plates 28 and 3h screwed to the top of the table and having coplanar surfaces.

it will be understood that the boards to be joined are slidable toward and away from one another on the top of the table with the assistance of backers 32 and 34 which are angularly formed as at 36 to receive the boards. These backers are guided for rectilinear move ment by undercut slots 38 (Fig. 3) in the top of the table receiving guide members 40, in the form of an inverted T, which travel in the undercut slots 38 and are attached to the undersides of the backers 32 and 34. To move the backers and to provide pressure against the boards after the adhesive has been applied, there are levers 42, 44 which are pivoted to the top of the table, as by the screws 46 (Fig. 1), and these levers have curved projections 48 (Fig. 3) resting against adjacent portions of the backers. The levers have handles 50 enabling pressure to be applied manually.

To hold adjacent edges of the boards firmly against the table, a series of arms 52 having antifriction rolls 54 are mounted upon rods 56 which are pivotally supported in end brackets 58. The rolls 54 are carried by shafts 55, 57 passing through the lower ends of the pairs of arms 52 which are drawn together by associated springs 60 so as to hold the adjacent margins of the boards against the table. When it is desired to withdraw the rolls 54 from the pieces of work, this can bedone by means of hand operated levers 62 and 63 clamped upon the respective rods 56. A cross link 64 joining the long rather slender top rods 56 midway of their length helps to support them against bending.

The transfer of adhesive to the work is effected by means of a blade extending lengthwise of the slot 26 in the table and provided with electric heating units 72 (Fig. 5) which may be controlled in any desired fashion and which are supplied. with electrical energy through their terminals 74 (Fig. 1). This blade is supported upon pins in the forked upper ends of holders comprising rods 76 which are slidably mounted in depending hangers 78 secured at their upper ends to the bottom of the table. The lower end of each hanger is enlarged to provide a guide 79 for one of the rods 76. Stop screws 80 are provided in these hangers to limit the downward movement of the blade and the rods 76 of the blade holder are joined by a connecting bar 82 having a bearing surface 84 on its underside for engagement by a roll 86 mounted upon the inner end of a lever 88 having a foot piece 39. The lever 88 is pivotally supported in a forked member 90 attached to the floor and it enables the operator to lift the blade when desired to carry it above the level of the table as shown in Fig. 6. Additional depending stop screws 92 (Fi 1) in the hangers coact with the upper side of the connecting bar 82 to limit the upward movement to a position where the blade is at the level of the boards which are to be joined.

Solid blocks 94 of heat softenable adhesive material substantially coextensive with the blade '70 are held by clamps 96 on the upper bars 98 (Fig. 1) of carriers having depending arms 100 which are pinned to one of the two shafts 192 journaled in the hangers 78. At one end, these shafts Hi2 extend outward through a face plate 103 attached to the adjacent flange 14 and have hand levers 104 and 106 (Fig. 2). The levers 104, 106, in idle position, rest against stops 105 on the face plate 103 but when lifted swing the carriers 98 to move the blocks of adhesive into engagement with the sides of the heated blades 70, as shown in Fig. 5.

In carrying out the method, boards 18 and 20 laid upon'the top of the table are positioned in the angles 36 of the backers 32 and 34 and are held in firm contact with the table at their adjacent edges by means of the rolls 54 upon the spring-presed arms 52. It will be understood that these boards are originally positioned with their adjacent edge faces 22 and 24 spaced from one another, as shown in Fig. 4. At this time the blade 70 is in its lowered position and by manipulating the hand levers 104, 106 the blocks 94 of adhesive material may be brought into engagement with the side faces of the blade 70 (Fig. 5) so that the heat of the blade will melt a small portion of the blocks, causing the blade to become smeared with a thin layer of adhesive. The arms 104, 106 are then released to permit the blocks of adhesive to fall away from the blade to the extent permitted by the stops 105 (Fig. 2). The operator will then depress the. foot lever 88, raising the blade to the position shown in Fig. 6, whereupon the levers 42, 44 may be moved by grasping their handles 59 and moving them toward each other and the boards 18 and 20 will be moved against the blade, as shown in Fig. 6, to cause a transfer of the adhesive to the boards. The blade is then dropped to a position shown in Fig. 7 by a release of the foot lever 88 and the boards are immediately brought into contact by further pressure upon the levers 42, 44. It will be understood that the adhesive cools very quickly because of the small quantity employed and the fact that it has not been found necessary to apply heat to the boards themselves. Accordingly, after a short interval the holddown arms 52 may be raised by the hand levers 62, 63

and the backing members 32-, 34 pushed aside to permit the bonded boards to be lifted out of the machine.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination, a heated blade supported for movement in a predetermined path from a position in which a face thereof is contacted by a solid block of heat softenable adhesive material to a position in which the adhesive is transferred from the blade to a work piece, means for moving said solid block of heat-softenable adhesive material into contact with said blade, and means for moving the work piece into contact with the coated face of said blade to eflect the transfer of the adhesive.

2. In combination, means for supporting pieces of work to be bonded for relative movements of approach, a heated transfer blade having exposed applying surfaces, means for efiecting contact between said surfaces and solid elongated blocks of heat-softenable adhesive material, means for bringing together the work pieces and the coated blade for-a transfer of the adhesive to the work, and means for withdrawing the blade.

3. In combination, coplanar supports for boards the adjacent edges of which are to be coated and bonded, a

heated blade movable into spaced positions one of which is between said boards and the other of which is out of alinenient therewith, and means for temporarily bringing into contact with opposed faces of said blade solid blocks of heat-softenable adhesive material to coat said faces for transfer of the material to the boards.

4. In combination, a table having a central slot, said table providing a support for boards to be joined at their adjacent edges, a heated blade, means for moving said blade from a position beneath the table to a position above the table, a movable support beneath the table for a block of heat-softenable adhesive material, means for moving the support for said block to bring the block into contact with a side surface of said heated blade when the blade is in a position beneath the table whereby said blade may serve to transfer the adhesive to the edge of a board.

5. In combination, a table provided with a central slot, said table serving to support boards which are to be joined at their adjacent edges, hangers beneath said table, swinging carriers on said hangers provided with clamps for blocks of solid heat-softenable adhesive material, a heated blade adapted to be moved upwardly through said slot, guides on said hangers, blade holders slidably mounted in said guides, means for swinging said carriers to bring said blocks against the sides of said blade when i the latter is in a lowered position, means for raising said blade to a position above the table, and means for moving said boards into contact with the blade to transfer the adhesive thereon to the edges of the boards 'whereby the blade may be lowered and the boards brought into contact with one another to make an adhesive bond.

6. In combination, a table provided with a slot, vertical guides, a heated blade beneath said slot, vertically slidable supports for said blade movable in said guides, means for reciprocating said slides to carry the blade above the surface of the table, carriers for blocks of solid heatsoftenable material substantially coextensive with the blade, means for moving said carriers toward and away from the blade, means for yieldably holding the adjacent margins of boards to be joined against the top of the table, and means for sliding said boards first toward the blade and later toward one another in order that adhesive removed from the blade may be utilized to make a bond between the boards.

7. The process of edge bonding sheets of material which consists in placing said sheets in a plane with their edge faces spaced from one another, pressing blocks of adhesive material against the side faces of a transfer blade, moving that blade to a position between the sheets to be joined, pressing the edges of said sheets against the blade, withdrawing'the blade, and pressing the edges of the sheets together.

8. The process of edge gluing boards which consists in placing said boards in a plane with their edge faces spaced from one another, moving blocks of adhesive material into engagement with the side faces of a heated blade, withdrawing the blocks and moving the blade normally to said plane to a position between the boards, moving the boards against the blade to transfer the adhesive, withdrawing the blade, and pressing the boards together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,784,216 Aldrich et al Dec. 9, 1930 2,379,500 Steffens July 3, 1945 2,665,738 Caskin Jan. 12, 1954 

1. IN COMBINATION, A HEATED BLADE SUPPORTED FOR MOVEMENT IN A PREDETERMINED PATH FROM A POSITION IN WHICH A FACE THEREOF IS CONTACTED BY A SOLID BLOCK OF HEAT SOFTENABLE ADHESIVE MATERIAL TO A POSITION IN WHICH THE ADHESIVE IS TRANSFERRED FROM THE BLADE TO A WORK PIECE, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID SOLID BLOCK OF HEAT-SOFTENABLE ADHESIVE MATERIAL INTO CONTACT WITH SAID BLADE, AND MEANS FOR MOVING THE WORK PIECE INTO CONTACT WITH THE COATED FACE OF SAID BLADE TO EFFECT THE TRANSFER OF THE ADHESIVE.
 7. THE PROCESS OF EDGE BONDING SHEETS OF MATERIAL WHICH CONSISTS IN PLACING SAID SHEETS IN A PLANE WITH THEIR EDGE FACES SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER, PRESSING BLOCKS OF ADHESIVE MATERIAL AGAINST THE SIDE FACES OF A TRANSFER BLADE, MOVING THAT BLADE TO A POSITION BETWEEN THE SHEETS TO BE JOINED, PRESSING THE EDGES OF SAID SHEETS AGAINST THE BLADE, WITHDRAWING THE BLADE, AND PRESSING THE EDGES OF THE SHEETS TOGETHER. 